PSAC Student-Athlete Feature - Cameron Daugherty Wednesday, January 25, 2012 12:30 PM CAMERON DAUGHERTY Slippery Rock - Criminal Justice Major Jacksonville, N.C. / Mililani HS (Hawaii) Daugherty is a junior pole vaulter for Slippery Rock's track and field teams. As a sophomore Daughterty earned All-America status in both indoor and outdoor, which included a school-record 5.15m clearance at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The PSAC-Scholar Athlete grew up in North Carolina but attended high school in Okinawa, Japan and Newport, Rhode Island before graduating in Hawaii. Why did you choose Slippery Rock University? I chose Slippery Rock for the combination of the track coaching and the Exercise Science program. But now that I changed my major to criminal justice, I guess it was just for the coaching. What is the biggest adjustment you had to make going from high school to college? Academically not really anything, I’ve always been a procrastinator extraordinaire and I still have that going unfortunately. But sports wise I would definitely have to say mindset. You really needed to just believe you are better and not let the pressures get to you. You have to believe that you can do things that you have never done before to get to the next bar. Who is your favorite athlete and why? My favorite athlete would probably be Jeff Hartwig, the old American record holder in the pole vault. The man is over 40 years old and still going strong I hope to be like that some day. What person has had the most significant influence on you from an athletics perspective? Probably Bill Jordan or CJ Morgante, the coaches who work with me directly here. Whenever I get out of line they “kindly” remind me of what I need to be doing and focusing on. Among athletes in the family, where do you rate? I wouldn’t say I was the best but I think I just found the sport that suited me best. My entire family is extremely athletic and my brother especially was a freak-of-nature athlete but suffered bad injuries so his career ended early. What is the thing you’ve enjoyed most about college? I probably enjoy the freedom of college the most. I like being on my own and being able to decide what I want to do and when I want to do it. If you could go pro in any sport it would be: Probably track actually, at least if the money were better. You get to travel all over Europe and compete at some awesome stadiums. Did you have any pregame rituals or superstitions? Definitely, yes. I do that same routine, down to the T every time I step on the runway. Biggest thing would probably have to be every day of a meet I have my entire uniform on from the moment I wake up. I don’t know why but I have done that since my freshman year of high school - and let me tell you - being in spandex for 12 hours sometimes is not fun. What do you consider your most memorable athletic accomplishment throughout your life? Probably at outdoor nationals last year, where even though I didn’t jump my best I still became an All-American and my parents got to watch me. Seeing the looks on their faces and knowing your parents are proud is a pretty cool feeling. ... Most memorable in college? Definitely last year at indoor nationals, when I set a new best twice in one meet and was fourth in the nation at the championships. I was so happy I got up and did a back flip on the pole vault pit while I was screaming. What are your career plans? Well I plan on getting my masters in counseling or student affairs in higher education so I know I would like to work with older kids and young adults. If everything went perfectly, I would love to coach track somewhere, that would be ideal. If I could change one thing about the sport I play, it would be: All the little rules. It is so annoying when people start arguing over all the little technicalities of the sport. Just let us vault. If the bar falls it falls. Words your coach says that you swear you can hear in your sleep: “Dang it Cam…” I am kind of a goof off at practice so I hear that a lot. What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? “Cameron, don’t eat that,” from multiple people growing up and occasionally still today. Sport I would look bad doing, and why: Golf. I have way too much energy and not enough focus for it. I would freak out. Who is your celebrity crush? Charlize Theron for sure. She is pretty amazing. Stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you bring? A magnifying glass, a box of spaghetti o’s, and Tom Hanks. He seems to know what’s going on on deserted islands. My favorite movie I’m embarrassed to admit: Probably Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts. That movie comes on television every once in a while and I’m pretty sure I have seen it about 12 times. The most addictive snack food for me is: Oreos. I can go through a whole pack in one sitting no problem. It starts to get expensive after a little while. What is your favorite vacation spot? Waimea Bay on the north shore in Hawaii. The water is crystal clear and there is about a 30 foot rock to climb up and jump off of. Plus the waves barrel perfectly, it's awesome. I used to leave school early with my friends and go before track practice back when I lived there. My hidden talent is: Dancing. I taught myself to dance when I was younger and just kind of kept up with it as I got older. What’s on your iPod during pregame? Kesha. That fast paced club music actually gets me pretty pumped up. When you’re in my hometown, you should try the... Okinawan food at Okinawa Ichiban. The soba and the yakisoba are awesome I could eat it everyday. I would be a lot more effective if I would spend less time: Watching TV series on Netflix. I’m pretty sure I’ve wasted around 100 hours of my life over a couple months just doing that. I know it’s terrible and a waste of time but I can’t stop.